Mark's Blog

February 6, 2012:

(Released from the National Media Support Team)

This week we will celebrate Scouting’s 103rd anniversary, and our focus has remained the same, working together to deliver the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training.

Sexual orientation is one of the most complex and divisive issues in society today. The BSA does not have an agenda on the matter, and discussing this issue is not the role of Scouting or the focus of the organization. However, the BSA has become one of the focal points in society’s ongoing debate on the issue.

It is clear that no single policy will accommodate all viewpoints within the Scouting family on the issue. Nor can Scouting be the place to resolve divergent viewpoints in society.

For 103 years, the Boy Scouts of America has been a part of the fabric of this nation, providing its youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. In the past two weeks, Scouting has received an outpouring of feedback from the American public. It reinforces how deeply people care about Scouting and how passionate they are about the organization.

After careful consideration and extensive dialogue within the Scouting family, along with comments from those outside the organization, the volunteer officers of the Boy Scouts of America’s National Executive Board concluded that due to the complexity of this issue, the organization needs time for a more deliberate review of its membership policy.

To that end, the executive board directed its committees to further engage representatives of Scouting’s membership and listen to their perspectives and concerns. This will assist the officers’ work on a resolution on membership standards. The approximately 1,400 voting members of the national council will take action on the resolution at the national meeting in May 2013.

America needs Scouting, and our policies must be based on what is in the best interest of our nation’s children. We believe good people can disagree and still work together to accomplish great things for youth.

Going forward, I’m asking all of you in our Scouting family to work with us and to stay focused on that which unites us, reaching and serving young people to help them grow into good, strong citizens.

With your help, we can accomplish incredible things for young people and the communities we serve.

Thank You

December 2012:

Honesty, Straight Talk, Respect, Hard Work, & Family.

These are the personal and professional principals that I use, along with the Scout Oath & Law, to guide my decisions as your Council Scout Executive. We are entering a very exciting time of change and refound energy and I'm up for the challenge as we build Western Colorado into the best Council in the Country.

Please consider my invitation to join us as we create this momentum. 2013 is the "Year of the Volunteer". As we shape our strategic plan to help guide us over the next five years, it is clear that volunteerism at every level of the Boy Scouts of America is the number one priority. Trained leaders, better communication, quality activities & events, stronger support for unit programs, and developing an outdoor camp/high-adventure experience round out the focus our members express.

There have been numerous changes to the Council in the past six months, and from the response, we are on the right track and will continue to involve more volunteers in the planning and direction of our Scouting programs in the Western Colorado Council.